Lizzy Gunsalus 2022 Pan-American U23 Women’s Champion
We recently caught up with Head Coach Bart Lipinski to ask him a few questions about what it takes to get an Elite Cyclocross Athlete ready for racing at the highest levels of the sport.
How long have you been working with Lizzy?
I first met Lizzy around 2015 where she was racing with my son (Coach Jaymz) on Bay Hill Capital (now AP Jr. Development). We started coaching Lizzy in 2019.
Can you describe what a season looks like?
Lizzy's season is a lot different than most here in the U.S. Her training for the road season begins at the end of February, early March. The spring and summer is mostly road with some gravel and mountain bike races mixed in. Her road season ends right around the end of July. Then a big rest before starting up for cross in September. She'll race cross through the end of January all over the U.S. and Europe. Lizzy will compete in the PanAms, U.S. CX Nationals, several World Cup races and the UCI Cyclocross World Championships. Throughout the year she races road and gravel with CCB, cross with The Steve Tilford Foundation, Marian University (collegiate) and for the U.S.A. in World Cup events.
Where has she raced in Europe?
To date she’s raced at Namur, Zolder, Diegem, Gullen and Horentals. In 2019, she won the Azencross edition of the Helen100 Trophy Junior Women Race.
What does a typical CX race week look like?
Depending on races, Lizzy can have as few as 1 workout a week or up to 3 or 4. When we have the time, we try to get in some INCYSD testing.
How important is communication with Lizzy?
COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL with Lizzy as well as all my athletes. I communicate with everyone through daily workouts in Training Peaks, email, test messages or phone calls.
How do you communicate with Lizzy?
The more we are on the same page the better prepared we will be. We communicate in Training Peaks and text messages throughout the day. In preparation for the PanAms and now for the USA Cycling CX Nationals, we talk on the phone almost every day discussing the day's workout and planning the next. Not only is Lizzy racing full time, but she is also a double major at Marion and Perdue. She has a lot more going on in life than just bikes!!! We talk a lot about school stress, her race travel schedule as well as everyday life.
How long have you been coaching juniors?
I have been coaching juniors since I started coaching in 2013. My son Jaymz was my first client. Since then, I have been using him and myself to test workouts and processes in order to get our other athletes ready for races, seasons and peaks.
What made you want to be a coach?
I became a coach because of a coach I had.She was awesome. Everything I do is because of the way she worked with me. She was always excited for me every step of the way. Now I get to do the same for all my athletes. I take more pride in my athletes’ accomplishments than I do with my own results. Nothing is better than when we have an athlete 100% ready for an event or peak.